Luck of the Irish
by The2DawsonGirls
Summary: A substory to 'A WholeNew Life' Ciara didn't know if she could survive without him. He was gone. He was never coming back. He promised he would never leave her, but he was gone. Her husband. Her Tom.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is a sister story to 'A Whole New Life'. It tells the story of Thomas Ryan and Ciara Donnogan (as she used to be) from when they were born up-starting with a prologue-this! DawsonGirl #2 wrote this-Alessia, with of course help and advice from Talia :) we're a team that way. Hope you like it!**

**-Alessia**

_**'They say time is a healer; but darling, I will never forget you.'**_

_Prologue_

_Shamrock_

_Philadelphia_

Ciara Ryan wept for what seemed like an eternity. Her Tommy, her beautiful, caring,beloved husband..was dead. Dead in that cursed ship-the _Titanic._ Why had she let him get onto that ship? If she hadn't whined about being desperate to see him he would never have gotten on. He'd be alive, and in Yorkshire. She would have looked forward to throwing herself in his arms, even more so after hearing about the tragedy which had befallen so many and claimed so many souls. Tommy included, and that woman, Mrs De Rossi's son. The Ryan's house was in mourning. Tommy's older siblings had been called, Aideen, Ronan,Declan and Allison and their spouses and children. She couldn't take the pitying looks, the whispers, so eventually she excused herself and ran to her garden, sat down on their bench, and wept. How could he leave her? He promised he never would. He'd known her since the day she was born, 12th May 1882. Their Mammies, Kaithleen and Ailis had been fast friends at school, and had remained in contact as they aged until Kaithleen had died three months ago. Tommy had taken emergency time from work and jumped on the back of a steamer. He was there within 3 days, hugging and comforting her. He'd held her, at age just two and had apparently smiled down at her, and she had smiled her very first smile. They'd been together ever since.

"Mammy? Are ya' alrigh'? Grandpa Bartley says it's time for tea and Aoife is fighting with Seamus." Ciara wiped her eyes and forced herself to smile

"Of course I'm alrigh', sweet. I'm a Mammy, and we'll always be OK." Liam smiled and griped her hand. Together they walked back into the house. Ciara's palm was sweaty. She couldn't figure out which one of them they were trying to convince. She was lost

_Tommy.._

_Tommy.._

_Tommy.._

_Tommy._

_**Shamrock**_

"How's it so that Thomas is dead? Where there not enough boats?" Aideen, the oldest sibling growled. She bared a striking resemblance to her Father, Bartley; or Bert, as he liked to be called. She had a small, button nose, but a pointed chin and lips were permanently downturned, as if they had once known how to smile, but had long discarded the information. She was skinny like a rake, until you reached her hips, years of smoking, three children and a love of beer had caused her to puff up like a balloon. No one particularly liked Aideen. Not even her Father took notice of her, slyly kicking Liam's football and smiling as he laughed and raced after it, gaining him a glare from Bartley Jr, Aideen's eldest, horrible, _bratty_ son.

"Aideen, the ship was_ unsinkable. _Why would they have so many lifeboats, eh?" Declan pointed out. Dec was the third youngest, the middle child; and Tommy's younger-older-brother. He was the funnest of the five, being like his Father, whereas as his Father was humorous in secret, Dec was class clown three years running, constantly leaving Aideen with worms in her bed, and tadpoles in her water. He was the second tallest, a few inches shorter than his brother, with dark brown hair and sharp hazel eyes with a cheeky glint in them. His son, Declan Jr-or Little Dec, as he was fondly called, had inherited most of these traits, laughing as he pulled on his sisters, Casey and Lianne's plaits as they cried out for their Mammy, Dec's wife Polly in protest.

"Hush yerselves. Don't ya' think it's hard for the child'rn to hear their Daddy's dead?'' Calm, thoughtful Allison, or Allie said in a hiss. The quarrel which had broken out between Aideen and Ronan promptly stopped, and Aidy stopped hitting Bartley with his toy car and looked up in awe at their Aunt, who rarely got involved, rarely was seen apart from St Patricks Day and other Holidays. She was only a year older than Tommy, and they had been immensely close. Ciara nodded gratefully and picked up Aoife, holding her to her closely. She and Liam were all she had left of Tommy now. They were her world.

"We should have stayed in Dalkey.'' Aideen muttered, and as Ailis came back inside with some coffee, she slammed her cup down, then shouted

"Where we starved? Where your Da couldn't get work? Even if we'd stayed in Dalkey, Aideen-this would have happened, Thomas would have had to go to work to support Ciara and Liam and Little Aoife. Can we not rejoice that Thomas was here at all?'' Aideen stood up, humiliated and red facd. As they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,

"You expect me to rejoice in the fact he isn't coming back? Tom is _dead_, Mother! He isn't coming back. Answer me this; who will support Ciara and your grandchildren now? This is nothing to celebrate!" Her Mother had tears running down her cheeks, and for a moment, Aideen's anger faltered and she looked away in shame. In that instant, Ailis ran away sobbing. Bert stood up angrily and grabbed his daughter's face, forcing her to meet his glare

"You are a disgrace, Aideen Ryan. You think you feel mourning for Thomas? You didn't just lose a brother that night. We lost our son. Now I'd like you to leave, and don't return until you've apologised to your Mother." then he let go with a snarl and followed Ailis into their room, leaving the living room in silence. Liam walked quietly over to Ciara and gripped her hand. Aoife emerged from where she'd been hiding her face in Ciara's shoulder and peered up at her Mother in bewilderment

"Mammy? What does Auntie Aideen mean, Daddy's dead?" Ciara felt her heart break, and as she looked at the faces of the other adults in the room, she could see that emotion was shared.


	2. Tommy

_**Shamrock**_

_**Chapter 1**_

**3rd April 1880**

Ailis Ryan had been pushing for twelve hours. She had never had this long a labour in any of her other 4 children. She was only 24, and her oldest, her daughter Aideen was 4. It was like the baby inside of her didn't want to be born. It had been a troublesome pregnancy, many false alarms and lots of bleeding. Her husband, Bartley squeezed her hand soothingly and she smiled over at him. In response, he smirked back, a sort of smug smile that quite obviously meant '_I'm so glad I'm not you right now.' _another contraction hit her and she groaned, squeezing his hand as she felt it through. As she finished, she gasped and leaned back on the pillow. The smug bastard laughed

"They're takin' their sweet time, sure." Ailis groaned with a chuckle, and he stroked her cheek, before kissing it, whispering into her ear

"You're doing so well, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." Ailis snorted

"You realise we're never having sex again?" her husband's face fell, and he opened his mouth to protest, but she glared at him. Another contraction. He reluctantly closed his mouth. Her doctor, Eva came and started inspecting her parts. She looked up and with a flourish, whipped off her gloves and announced

"Alrighty, Ailis. Let's have your baby."

Twenty minutes later and their baby had still not made an appearance. Bartley was squeezing her hand and whispering soothing words as she screamed, her dress hitched round her waist

"Come on, dear. One more push and they'll be free!" Ailis sucked in her breath, and with the exhalation, screamed and pushed. All at once the baby was born, and their piercing cry filled the air. The thing that attached them was removed, and at once they were washed off, all the blood and gloopy stuff taken off. They wrapped the baby in a towel, and he was handed to his Father, who cradled him proudly.

"Another little' boy, Ailis." she held out her arms, wincing as the Nurse put disinfectant on her. Bert handed the baby to his Mother, and she stared down at him. Long, brown-ginger curls sprouted from his tiny head, and his eyes were hazel and sparkling as they stared up in awe, and finally was able to put a face to the voice that he had been hearing for the past nine months.

"Thomas Connor." she sighed, and Bartley smiled and sat down on his seat next to her and held her hand

"You decided withou' telling me? When?" she stroked baby Thomas's head and grinned

"About three seconds ago. Look at him, Bert. He looks like a younger version of you-"

"..and my middle name is Thomas. Ah. It's a fine name, sweet. How about it, Thomas? Do you like ya' new name?" Thomas kicked in his blanked and grabbed Bert's finger and held on tight. There was a knock at the door, and as they looked over, their four other children, Aideen, Ronan, Declan and Allison ran in, followed by their close family friend, Kaithleen. Kaithleen had been Ailis's best friend for many years, and had been close with Bert from the moment she met him. She was right behind the children as they launched themselves in the bed and begged to look at the new baby. Allison, quiet and sucking her thumb, pulled on Bert's trousers, and as he looked down, held out her arms for him to pick her up. She was the smallest, before Thomas; barely one. He lifted her easily off the ground and sat her on his knees, and she resumed sucking her thumb.

"Oh, Mammy do let us see her!"

"Her? Ro, your Mammy already told you the baby was a bie."'Kaithleen reminded Ronan gently. It was true that Ailis had had a hunch that the baby was a boy from the moment she realised she was pregnant again. It was the way her stomach jutted out. It was not rounded, as it was with Allison and Aideen, but higher up and more oval shaped, as it had been for Dec and Ronan.

"Mammy, what's his name?" Dec asked, pushing past Aideen, making her squeal

"Thomas, lovie. Would ya' like to meet him?" Ailis asked, and all the children and Kaithleen nodded eagerly. Bert laughed and Ailis pulled Thomas's blanket off his head, and from the shock of the cold, he peered round, stopping as he saw his family. Kaithleen cooed at him, and Declan and Aideen started begging to hold him. Ronan just stared at him, and Allison smiled.

"We can call him Tommy. Then his name sounds like mine! Tom-mee, Al-Lee. See?" Bert hugged Allie to him as she giggled. Thomas-or _Tommy _as he was now known gave a yawn, and fell asleep peacefully in Ailis's arms.

"Ooh, Mammy! He's so cute when he sleeps!" Aideen cried loudly, and before Bert had a chance to yank her away and chastise her for being loud, Tommy woke up, and cried in surprise. Ailis sighed and Kaithleen smiled and put her hand in hers

"I'll take them, Ail. He's beautiful." Ailis mouthed her thanks, and kissed her children's heads one by one, and one by one they trooped out with Kaithleen flanking them. One again, Tommy and his parents were alone.

And that's just the way they liked it; and from his contented snores, they could tell baby Thomas Connor Ryan did too.

_**Bie- It's an Irish accent thing. Think of the word 'Pie' and put a 'B' in front, "By" would probably be the way I'd say it. It means boy. **_

_**(Credit goes to a book I heard that from; 'Nobody Wants You') **_


End file.
